Sam Allardyce is expected to spend much of today holed up behind a door labelled War Room at Newcastle United's training ground. It is the command module where he and his many coaches plot their strategies and must now devise the tactics to undo Stoke City in Sunday's FA Cup tie in the Potteries.

Should such battle plans prove flawed Mike Ashley, Newcastle's owner, may decide to break his holiday in order to sack the manager who was appointed only days before he bought the club last summer. After three consecutive Premier League defeats Allardyce cannot afford another reverse against Championship opposition in a competition which offers Newcastle's sole hope of glory this season.

Inside the War Room Allardyce and his cohorts are likely to devote considerable time to identifying Stoke's strengths and weaknesses, but the former Bolton Wanderers manager's critics argue that such preparations can prove counterproductive.

Indeed, some Newcastle players believe far too many hours have been invested in talking about stopping the opposition rather than burnishing their own skills. Some weeks ago one of the bolder members of the Magpies' squad is reputed to have sat through about 30 minutes of Newcastle's manager lecturing on dealing with the dangers posed by their pending opponents' key winger before piping up with "But what do you want us to do when we've got the ball?"

Yesterday a handful of players, including the supposed sceptics Nicky Butt and James Milner, insisted "We are behind the gaffer" but the true strength and sincerity of such declarations will not be known until Newcastle are defending some of Stoke's trickier set-piece routines this weekend.

Much of Allardyce's problems on Tyneside have stemmed from dead-ball situations. At Bolton he enjoyed a reputation for choreographing them but even though the Newcastle defence has been restaffed with his own summer buys his new team have a habit of conceding soft goals from corners and free-kicks.

Newcastle have long been suspect at the back but, under Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson especially, such flaws were often camouflaged by vibrant attacking. Unfortunately flair has been conspicuous by its absence from the midfield and attack this season as Allardyce has implemented a watered-down version of Bolton's percentage game. As one former leading Newcastle player said this week: "His style of football is going to kill Sam here. Sooner or later it will get him sacked."

Perhaps mindful of similar criticism from Robson in his newspaper column, Allardyce seemed willing to risk an ideological compromise on Wednesday night against Manchester City, replacing his beloved 4-3-3 formation with a crowd-pleasing 4-4-2 that featured two wingers in Milner and Damien Duff. But City's considered approach saw them withstand an early barrage and depart with a 2-0 victory which left the home manager admitting that dressing-room morale was at its lowest ebb since his installation as Glenn Roeder's successor.

Last year was tough all round for Allardyce, whose Bolton side undid a fine beginning to the 2006-07 season by accruing fewer points than Roeder's ailing Newcastle in the second half of that campaign.

Bookmakers are predicting that Alan Shearer will have succeeded him at St James's before 2008 is much older but, although the former Newcastle and England captain is idolised on Tyneside, not every Toon Army foot soldier is a devotee. When Shearer fell out with Ruud Gullit the supporters were divided as to whether the Dutch manager or Geordie striker should be the man to leave.

Eventually Gullit resigned, impressing the then chairman, Freddy Shepherd, by refusing to demand a pay-off. It is hard to envisage Allardyce, who is on a lucrative three-year contract, following suit and the heavy compensation payable to the manager and staff in the event of dismissal are possibly deterring Ashley from acting.

The precise composition of Allardyce's back-room staff remains unclear because the club are reluctant to divulge details of who is employed, but that support body is vastly expanded on the one that served Roeder last season. "Sam's got about 100 coaches, 'ologists and scouts working for him," joked one rival manager. "You wonder where he puts them all." The true figure is about 32, Allardyce having recruited more than 20 staff, including Dr Mark Nesti, a clinical pyschologist.

Detractors claim Allardyce is blinded by science, regarding ProZone as an oracle rather than a coaching tool, but instead of properly explaining his plans Newcastle's manager has often proved a poor communicator.

His cause has not been helped by his refusal to speak to the BBC in the wake of a Panorama investigation into corruption in football in which the then Bolton manager and his son Craig loomed large. Outraged at what he considered unjustified slurs, Allardyce threatened to sue the corporation but the deadline by which a libel suit could have been initiated passed without action, and his continuing silence in front of BBC microphones mystifies many Newcastle fans living in an isolated region across which local broadcasters command a large and loyal following.

War rooms are all very well but Tyneside is no place for managers harbouring a bunker mentality.

Stoke XI who could pull rug from under Sam

Steve Simonsen Goalkeeper

Once signed by Everton for £3.3m, a then British record for a goalkeeper, but moved to Stoke on a free in 2004

Gabriel Zakuani Right-back

In his second loan spell from Fulham. Appeared in the video for Dizzee Rascal's recent single Flex

Ryan Shawcross Centre-back

On loan from Manchester United. As a child he appeared for Flintshire Boys, who count Gary Speed, Michael Owen and Ian Rush among their graduates

Leon Cort Centre-back

On loan from Crystal Palace. Brother of Leicester striker Carl Cort

Danny Pugh Left-back

Arrived from Preston in November, initially on loan. Can also play at the centre of midfield

Liam Lawrence Right midfield

Scored for Sunderland against Newcastle in 2005. Moved to Stoke for £500,000 last January

Rory Delap Central midfield

Versatile Irishman noted for long throws, a feature in any Pulis team

John Eustace Central midfield

Former Coventry captain who has battled back from a long-term knee injury to resume his central role

Richard Cresswell Left midfield

Converted striker. Started his career at York City but found success at Preston

Mamady Sidibe Striker

Malian international stabbed by a fan during a match against Togo last October, severing an artery

Ricardo Fuller Striker

Missed the New Year's Day match against Hull to attend grandmother's funeral in Jamaica, but expected to return in time to face Newcastle. The club's top scorer this season with 11